Ziggy patted his knees. "That is the Nature of Karma."
Ziggy then smushed over the hexagram he made with his feet. He then quickly made a ladder with 9 rungs in the dirt.
"There are 9 ranks of Karmic Masters. Starting from 1 all the way up to 9 each rank corresponds to what rung on the Karmic ladder they have climbed. The karmic ladder is something all who aspire to be karma masters must climb if they want to survive in the Wilds."
Ziggy extended his hands towards Ethan. " Ethan, Tell me what are the three criteria of the first step on the Karmic ladder"
Ethan briefly gathered his thoughts and held up one finger. " The first is to have access to their karma lake and be able to absorb and release karma "
Ethan held up his second finger. " Next they must create their first Karmic ability by successfully negotiating with Samsara Scale."
Ethan held up his third finger. " They should be able to use at least one of the basic applications of karma."
James internalized what was said. ' I see. I only meet one of the three criteria. Samsara Scales ...basic applications of karma I have no Idea what they are.'
Ziggy nodded. " Yes, James only meets the first and Uquinn meets the first and third but not the second."
" My father told me I didn't need to." Uquinn said emotionlessly.
A contemplative gaze lingered on Ziggy's face. 'Should I tell her the truth about her Karmic nature?'
' It's not my place to say anything. Jura boy, you owe me another debt you can't repay. ' Ziggy gave measured looks towards all three of them but only one of them mattered in his eyes.
'Uquinn, how far will you go for him to notice?' A question he found himself asking more frequently.
Ziggy chuckled to himself. " He's right, you don't need to. Eventually you'll develop them naturally."
Uquinn had never broken eye contact with Ziggy. 'He lied to me.'
Uquinn suppressed her anger and didn't show it on her face. She simply nodded and moved on. "So what do I do then?"
Ziggy continued seamlessly. " Spend more time in your transformation, the deeper you connect with it the stronger you will be and the more likely you are to develop an ability on your own"
Uquinn' nodded appreciatively. "Thank you Ziggy. "
Ziggy leaned backwards and chuckled. " Good!Good!Things will be very interesting the next time I see him."
Ziggy stood up " Alright, that's enough talking for now.. James, you will only negotiate with Samsara Scales after you've learned the five basic techniques of Karma. However you will only be using one for the foreseeable future. "
" Which one is it?" James stood up determined.
"Gear" Ziggy stood up and a layer of natureless karma instead of flowing outwards from his body wrapped itself around him in a thin layer.
"Gear is using the ambient karma to reinforce your body. This is the external manifestation of Gear called Skin."
One Week later,
The rainbow lake is a unique feature of the silent forest. The water is filled with karma of all six natures. The thin layer of film above the lake acts as a karma trap. This trap prevents the karma from creatures that die from escaping the lake allowing it to retain its karmic saturation and become denser over centuries. This lake is not the only rainbow lake, in fact it is a rather juvenile lake that has not been saturated with karma for more than a century.
Old stories were told about this lake. It used to be inhabited by a species of monster commonly referred to as Dryads or Mermaids.
Mermaids were creatures of myth that held a mystical beauty unable to be described by the lips of men as anything but ethereal. Due to their natural attenuation with the dense karma found in the lakes their scales shimmered like rainbows under the setting sun.
However, they were all hunted or enslaved due to their flesh enhancing the affinity of a being towards a specific karmic nature and acting as decent nourishment for karma masters in a bygone era. The last human to have been recorded to have seen a mermaid was Barbora The Dead Captain in the western archipelago.
This lake acts as a primary resource node and training ground for young karma masters. Cryptids like the Grinning Koi and the Bastion Bass are relatively weak and act as a stable source of food for Karma masters.
Today a young man was sitting in the shallows of this water, in deep meditation. His chest rose and fell in rhythm with the earth around him. Surrounding him was a thin coat of formless karma that occasionally wobbled unsteadily but quickly regained its steadiness.
James was currently practicing SKIN, the external manifestation of one of the five basic techniques of karma Gear. SKIN is the external manifestation of Gear and acts as a protective barrier that enhances the strength and durability of karma masters.
Depending on how SKIN is used it can even allow karma masters to walk on water or enhance their physical movements.
James calmly observed the changes that occurred within his karma lake as he cycled the formless karma in and out of his karma lake.
' It's like breathing but through my stomach, I absorb karma into my karma lake but before it can condense into rain I cycle it back outside of me and into my skin. It's strange and difficult to wrap my head around coming from nothing. '
Over the course of this week James eventually found a rhythm he could follow to maintain SKIN. But this was not good enough, for him to have mastered SKIN it should be nearly second nature.
" I understand why this is considered a basic technique for karma masters. It provides both a passive and active source of enhancement to my body. Having karma constantly flow through my skin is increasing the toughness of my body. '
James tightened his fists, with SKIN active and felt that his flesh was slowly being reinforced and getting stronger.
'The second is that it provides another physical barrier towards attacks or movement. Kind of like a magnet repelling anything that cannot overcome the strength of my SKIN. '
James briefly opened his eyes and looked at the fish that remained inches away from him but did not come closer. Or try to interfere with him. They simply watched him and waited.
'Grinning Koi, Bastion Bass, Frowning Groupers, Diamond Daggerteeth. These are all fish that are found within the first 10 m below the surface of the lake.'
James looked towards the depths of the lake, deep beneath the surface speckles of light shimmered back at him.
' I haven't even been able to dive 5 meters yet. The physical barrier of skin is extremely difficult to maintain constantly and if I'm not focused it gets extremely weak. '
James breathed in and focused his mind. Throughout his body he could feel a formless energy sweeping towards him from everywhere. It was as if pure energy was flowing into his body but without concentrating it would be like sand in his fingertips.
James continued to monitor the changes occurring in his karma lake. He reviewed one of the few useful pieces of information Ignazio had mentioned to him.
Karma lakes are immaterial spaces that occupy the navel area of humans. They are spherical in nature and are the core of a karma master's power. Karma masters can project their consciousness into their karma lakes by meditating.
James tried to focus his mind and the karma he absorbed slowly condensed into clouds above his karma lake and eventually fell like rain replenishing the karma he used up during the day. Eventually his karma lake was full of his platinum karma.
Seeing this James did not stop and continued to absorb karma beyond what his karma lake could hold, the rain soon quickly turned into run off and the runoff would quickly evaporate and condense and repeat the cycle.
' I can't store more karma than what my lake can hold, but cycling the karma does have an effect. '
If it wasn't James' own karma lake maybe he would not be able to tell the difference but when he let the water overflow there was some erosion of the walls of his karma lake. By some imperceptible margin he was expanding the size of his karma lake.
'This is the method of climbing the Karmic ladder. Currently my karma lake is of above average size for a Rank 1 karma master. '
James reviewed the information Ignazio gave to him. ' There are three different sizes of karma lakes based on the diameter of the sphere, a small karma lake is 1-3 km in diameter, a medium sized karma lake is 4-9 km in diameter and a large lake is 10+ km in diameter. The initial size of a karma lake is directly proportional to the potential and the ability of the karma master to climb the karmic ladder and how fast they run out of karma when using a karmic attack.'
James observed his karma lake and found that it was 7km in diameter. 'Just above average potential'
James didn't pay this much attention beyond his initial disappointment and continued to practice the method of catching and releasing formless karma.
Normally, when he would absorb karma it would condense and fall like rain into his karma lake filling it or eroding the walls that surrounded it if he caused the karma to overflow. But this time before the karma could condense into clouds expelled the formless karma outwards cycling the karma into his SKIN, the external application of Gear.
James shifted uncomfortably as he tried to get used to this feeling. ' It feels like im eating and as the food hits my stomach it turns into gas and flows around my body into my skin.'
Inhale…Exhale…Inhale…Exhale…One,Two,Three,... ten,eleven,twelve,thirteen,fourteen…two minutes,Three minutes. The SKIN dissipated and James fell backwards into the shallow water.
Cough! Cough!
James felt the fish briefly swim closer to him, their fangs ready to sink into his flesh. James didn't stop them; he allowed the Grinning Koi to swim up towards his body and they immediately began to try and tear small chunks of his skin off but were unsuccessful.
' It hurts, but they're unable to break through my skin. But good, I'm making progress. ' James lifted his shirt and on his stomach were scars that resembled the teeth marks embedded into his skin.
' My body is covered in small cuts and scars from my interactions with these fish. '
James looked at his arms and saw the bite marks some were larger than the Grinning Koi there was even a fresh red wound on his left forearm which had only recently scabbed over. James picked at the scab and looked at the depths of the water where a fish was patiently waiting for him to return. It seemed to have a grudge against him.
' Ahh it seems Mr yellow wants to play. ' James chuckled to himself remembering the Bastion bass sinking its teeth into his flesh and Uquinn saving him.
He shook the confidence out of his head and immediately went back to practicing. The Grinning Koi that surrounded him had suppressed smiles. After the vast majority of them were now unable to break skin they swam off losing interest but a few stubborn ones remained.
He then repeated the process until it was deep into the afternoon.